Two of the Blue Jays’ top pitching prospects had fantastic debuts on Thursday, following in the footsteps of No. 1 prospect Nate Pearson on Wednesday.

Alek Manoah was simply dominant in his first start at the Triple-A level, striking out 12 over six innings of shutout ball. The Blue Jays’ No. 6 prospect was the star of Spring Training, blowing through a Yankees lineup with legitimate big league hitters on two occasions, which earned him the aggressive assignment to Triple-A.

In camp, Manoah wowed with a high-90s fastball and wipeout slider, and he’s also added a sinker to his arsenal.

“That’s a pitch I didn’t think was ready for a game yet. It’s something I’d been working really hard at the alternate site on and something I’d thrown really well, I just didn’t think it was quite there yet. I told Juan Graterol before the game, I said, ‘Hey, man, if you feel like a lefty is battling a few pitches and there’s really nothing to put them away, let’s throw that front-hip sinker.’”

Confidence has never lacked for Manoah, and when he’s pitching like this, it shouldn’t. He’s learned to control that aggression, though, and despite what the dozen strikeouts might suggest, that’s not always what he’s chasing in every at-bat.

“I was just going out and attacking hitters early, trying to get them 0-1, 0-2, trying to get some early ground ball outs,” Manoah said. “That’s what gets you deep into the game and that’s what can get you through the lineup three times, maybe just by getting a guy on a first-pitch out when he doesn’t know what you’ve got still.”

Down in Double-A, No. 4 prospect Simeon Woods Richardson pitched four innings in his debut, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits with eight strikeouts.

Woods Richardson is just 20 years old, but more mature on and off the mound than his age would suggest. He was assigned to High-A as a 19-year-old when the Blue Jays acquired him in the Marcus Stroman deal in 2019, and there’s every reason to believe he’ll pitch his way onto the Triple-A roster in the coming months.